Missing Project
by ShadowFoxx15
Summary: After meeting up with Tifa and the others, Sam, having made the decision to go back, meets up with Reno again...but she's not sure what to do about Rufus ShinRa wanting her dead. Reno X OC
1. Project 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII. Or any characters mentioned from FFVII. But I do own Samantha. And Emily.

* * *

--Chapter 1: Halloween Cosplay--

In a small town, a local restaurant was celebrating Halloween by allowing its servers and bus people to dress up for the occasion. There were costumes of all kinds, from black cats to witches, and even a ghost. But there was one particular waitress who went a bit of a different route.

"Here are your tips for the day, Kenny." She handed one of the busboys a wad of one dollar bills.

"Thanks, Sam." He walked away to go and clock out. Sam was dressed in a black suit, and a red wig, spiked at the top, and with a ponytail in the back. Her face had a red streak under each eye; she had sunglasses on her forehead, and on her belt, was a baton that she had carefully crafted from PVC pipe and silver spray paint.

"Time for my side work." She pulled a bucket full of individual packets of sugar out from under the counter, and began to place them into their designated containers, next to the jelly, which she had already filled.

While she was humming to herself, and the last customers were leaving for closing, a man dressed in red burst into the restaurant.

"I need some help." He was carrying another man, who was dressed similar to Sam.

She dropped what she was doing, and ran over to the newcomer. "Holy crap! What the hell happened to him?" The unconscious man was covered in wounds and blood, and his clothes were shredded.

"He was attacked." Sam took the wounded man, and set him in a counter seat, carefully laying his head on the smooth surface.

"By what? A lion or a tiger?" Sam asked sarcastically.

The man in red said nothing, but looked out the window.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

"They're coming."

Sam was taken aback. "Who's coming?"

The man in red turned to leave.

"Wait! Just who the hell are you?!"

He looked at her quizzically. "I could ask you the same question."

"My name's Sam. Now, who are you?"

There was a pause as the man considered telling her. "Vincent Valentine."

Sam just laughed. "Yeah. And I'm Cloud Strife."

"You don't believe me."

"I believe that you are either really into character, or crazy. I'm leaning towards the latter."

"I just need you to take care of him." He pointed to the man that Sam put on the counter.

"Why didn't you take him to a hospital? He really needs professional medical attention!"

"I can't do that. They'll find him too easily."

"Who?"

"I can't tell you that." Vincent said in a quiet voice, like the walls themselves had ears.

"Why the hell not?!" Sam was getting pissed, and her voice showed it. "You drop a wounded man on me, tell me that you're Vincent Valentine, I can't take this guy to the hospital, some one or something is after the two of you, and I get no goddamned explanation?" She sighed in exasperation. "What the hell do you expect me to do?"

Vincent said nothing for a moment. Then he spoke. "We were fighting a group of monsters near Edge. I went in to help Cloud and the others. He-" Vincent gestured to the man at the counter. "-and the Turks just happened to be there. While the fight went on, something like a portal opened up, and sucked us up. I don't know what happened to the others. I just happened to end up with him."

"Who is he? He looks familiar."

"I think you can figure that out for yourself."

Sam thought for a moment. "If I find out you're lying to me, and that this is some kind of sick joke, I will hunt you down, and kick your ass."

Vincent seemed taken aback. That was really sudden. Then, after a second, he nodded and left.

Sam sighed. She had no idea what to do with this guy.

"Sam." A new, quiet voice whispered.

"Yeah, Emily?"

A girl dressed as a black cat moved from the kitchen to the dining area. "I'll finish your side work. You should get him out of here." She said quietly.

Sam was surprised. Emily was usually timid, and she only spoke when necessary.

"You mean it?"

Emily smiled, and nodded.

"Thanks. I owe you." Sam put the injured man's arm over her shoulder, and began to drag him to her car. "All that's left is the sugars. I managed to get everything else done." Sam called over her shoulder.

"Then you don't owe me very much. I might just let this one slide, considering you really have helped me out. I owe you more than one." Emily smiled again.

Sam looked taken aback for a split second. Then she returned the smile. "Alright. 'Bye." She left.

Once in the car, Sam buckled her passenger in tight, and got in herself. Once in, she gunned the ignition, and drove home.

After dragging her companion up two flights of stairs, and through her front door, Sam managed to clear a spot of clothes off of the couch in her living room, and laid the man on it.

"Now, where the hell is my First Aid Kit?" Sam muttered to herself. Quickly making her way through the dump that was her apartment, she made her way to the bathroom, and dug through the medicine cabinet.

"Aha! Here it is!" She pulled a small, red bag from one of the shelves. She returned to the living room, and found herself in a bit of a bind.

"How am I going to do this without taking off his clothes? I don't want to seem like some kind of weird pervert."

After pondering this for a while, she came to an undeniable conclusion.

"Damn it. I can't."

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**SF15:** A strange ending, but I prefer to let things like this write themselves. Besides, this might be fun to play with! Please read and review!


	2. Project 2

**Disclaimer:** I only own Sam. And Emily from the last chapter. And Kimmy, Sam's neighbor. Crystylane is a made up place.

--Chapter 2: Who are you?--

After fixing up the wounded man and giving him some new clothes that her ex-boyfriend left behind, Sam got up from the chair that she had placed next to the couch, stretched, yawned loudly, and went to go put on her PJ▓s.

"I really need to get out of this costume. And maybe I need to shower..." She yawned again, and walked towards her room.

Moments later, the man on the couch began to stir. He moaned, and his eyes flickered open. "Where the hell...?" He tried to move, but yelled from the pain.

Sam ran out to the living room, now dressed in a T-shirt and boxer shorts. "Oh! You're awake."

He made a conscious effort to run from her, but ended up falling on the floor.

"Hey! You aren't healed yet! You need to stay put." She helped him back up on the couch.

He made another move to leave, but she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. I was the one who fixed you up, and you're in my apartment. My name is Sam." Her words were slow and soft. She was trying to comfort the poor man.

He just turned away. "Where am I?" He asked with a slight threat in his voice.

Sam ignored the tone. "In my apartment." she repeated. "In Crystylane."

He gave her a confused look. "Crystylane? Is that anywhere near Edge? Or Midgar?"

Now it was Sam's turn to be confused. "Edge? You mean like in Final Fantasy Seven? No. That's just in the game, right?"

"A game?! What the hell are you talking about?!" He was exasperated. He tried to sit up once more, and again Sam gently pushed him back down.

"I guess Vincent was right. You must've gotten sucked into that portal."

"I remember that. But then I don't remember anything afterwards."

"That's because you were unconscious." They were both silent for a moment, pondering what had just transpired.

"Reno." The man spoke softly.

"Huh?"

"My name. It's Reno."

Sam looked shocked. "You're Reno?"

He nodded, his face saying 'duh'.

"Wow. I just thought you were cosplaying as Reno. I didn't really think that you were really him."

"Cosplaying? What's that?"

"That's when you dress as your favorite character from a game, show, or comic book. I was doing that earlier."

"As me?"

"How did you know? You were knocked out."

He motioned with his hand to her face. "You have the same tattoos as me on your face."

Sam realized that she didn't get a chance to wash up. "It's just face paint." She rubbed it off with her hand.

Reno laughed, and then doubled up in pain. "It hurts to laugh?" He whined, not liking that detail.

"You were hurt pretty bad. I don't think I can care for you. You might have broken bones."

Reno carefully felt his ribcage. "Not broken. I'm just sore."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Only fools are positive."

Reno snickered. "Where'd you get that lame line?"

"A movie."

He snickered again.

Sam looked annoyed. "Look, it's late. You should be getting some rest. And so should I." She got up with a sigh. "I gotta work in the morning." She went into a closet in the hall, pulled out some blankets and a couple pillows. Then she covered Reno, and placed the pillows under his head.

"There. Comfy?"

Reno wriggled a bit, then smiled. "Yeah. This is good."

"Great. 'Night."

"'Night." And he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Reno awoke to Sam walking out of the bathroom muttering to herself. "Let's see...I've got my car keys, and my wallet, and my pen...and my sunglasses. Good to go."

"'Morning." Reno called from the couch.

"Hi." Sam walked to the couch. "How do you feel?"

"Better. I'm not sore, and I think I might be able to move."

"Already?!"

"Yeah. I used to get beat up all the time. I heal fast."

Sam seemed unsure. "...Okay. But I gotta go, or I'll be late." She went to the door. "By the way, I'm leaving some cash and some take-out numbers by the phone in case you get hungry. I don't have any food in the house, I'm afraid. And, if you get into any trouble and you need my help, my work and cell numbers are by the phone, too."

Reno was already sitting up. "Got it. Have a nice day at work."

Sam looked at him with a shocked look on her face.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

Sam shook her head. "No. I'm just not used to hearing that, is all. Not even from my cat."

"You have a cat?"

"She's around. You might even see her, if you're lucky." And, with that, she left.

Reno stood up, and surveyed his surroundings, fear rising in his blood. There were clothes all over the floor, the sink was full of dirty dishes, the trashcan was overflowing, and there were DVDs and videos all over the living room, not to mention old dishes and take out cartons.

"How can anyone live like this?!" He looked like he was going to suffer a coronary.

Sam popped her head back in. "Forgot my locker keys." She pulled them off of a pegboard by the door.

"See you." Reno faked a smile and spoke through gritted teeth.

"Bye."

As soon as the door was closed, Reno went into the kitchen to find an apron. He had to clean this mess! But, unfortunately for him, the only apron was a white, frilly, nightmare.

"There has got to be another one..." He searched frantically, but to no avail.

Reno sighed in frustration, "Just gotta deal with it." He put it over his head. "Besides, it's not like anyone's gonna see me in it..."

The hysterical cleaning of the apartment began.

* * *

At work, Sam was on the floor taking orders, but her mind was on Reno. _'I hope he's okay without me. He's still injured. He might make it worse. He better not be doing anything stupid...'_

Reno had just finished gathering up all the trash, and the clothes. He took off the apron, and grabbed the trash first. "This goes out first. Then I'll do some laundry."

* * *

Emily was spying Sam like a curious little bird. "Are you okay, Sam?"

"I'm fine."

"You're zoning out. Is your mind on that guy?"

Sam froze. Guilty as charged.

"Of course not!" She stammered. "I just have a lot to do after work, that's all!" She forced a laugh, causing the current population of the restaurant to stare at her like she was crazy.

Sam looked around sheepishly. "I've gotta stop doing that..."

* * *

After the trash had been properly disposed of, Reno took the liberty of taking the clothes from all over the house to the apartment complex's laundromat, and, thanks to the help of a neighbor, he managed to get it all in three trips.

"Thanks for the hand." Reno was really grateful.

"No problem." The neighbor in question was a bubbly girl with brown hair that was close to Sam's age. She had introduced herself as Kimmy.

"I think I can take it from here." He walked inside. Kimmy followed.

"Are you Sam's new boyfriend?" Kimmy asked suddenly.

Reno looked at her in horror. "Wh-what?!"

Kimmy giggled. "I didn't think so. I saw her drag you into her apartment last night. But, don't worry. She's really nice. I don't think she would've done anything you'd regret. You did look pretty messed up. I think she might've administered first aid."

Reno was baffled by how long this girl could talk without taking a breath. "Yeah. She did."

"Is that why you're cleaning her place?"

"That and the fact that she's a slob. I can't stand messy places."

"Do you have OCD?"

He gave her an annoyed look. "No. I just hate messy places."

Kimmy grabbed some laundry out of one of the bags.

"What are you doing?" Reno was getting even more annoyed, if that was possible.

"Helping. It would look really weird if you were handling Sammy's underwear."

Reno just couldn't believe that she said that out loud, let alone with a smile on her face. But, he had to admit, she had a point.

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**SF15:** That's it for this chapter. Please read and review!

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	3. Project 3

**SF15:** I apologize for the long wait, but here's the next chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I only own Sam, Emily, and Kimmy. The town is a made up place.

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**--Chapter 3: Bonding--**

Kimmy and Reno were finishing the laundry, and were having a nice discussion about Sam.

"So, has she always been such a slob?" Reno still couldn't get over the possibility of someone who looked so neat could live in a pigsty.

"No. That's just recently. Her boyfriend broke up with her because she got a job. They got into this huge argument, and he just left. Last I heard, he moved to another country. He really wanted to get away from her. He acted like it was so wrong for a girl to work for a living."

Reno thought about Elena for a moment. She'd probably try to punch him.

"So, she just didn't care after that?"

"Pretty much. She needs to be loved, just like all of us. She doesn't have a family, and I'm the only one who will talk to her around here."

"No family, no friends? That's pretty pathetic."

Kimmy actually stopped smiling. "Don't make fun of her! I won't stand for it!"

"Sorry. I really do feel for her. I do. It's just...she acts like nothing's wrong."

"To keep everyone from worrying."

"Figures."

* * *

At the restaurant, Sam sneezed a few times.

"Bless you." Emily handed her a napkin.

"Thanks." Sam blew her nose.

"You know, they say, when you sneeze, that means that someone's talking about you."

"That sounds ridiculous." Sam blew again. "But I think you might be right."

* * *

After the laundry was done, Reno hung, folded, and ironed all her clothes. Kimmy had already helped with the underwear.

"To keep Sammy from beating you black and blue!" She had cheerily told him.

The only thing left for him to do was to sweep, mop, and vacuum. And he had three hours until Sam came home.

* * *

Sam was praying for her shift to be over. She wanted to keep a better eye on Reno. He might hurt himself, and she would only blame herself. Like she did for everything that ever went wrong in her life. Like when Josh left.

_'Kimmy might have been right about him. I can do better, but I miss the good times we had. He was so romantic.'_

"Miss Space Cadet?" Emily was standing in front of her, hands on her hips.

"Huh?"

"Finish your side work so you can go home and keep an eye on that guy from yesterday."

"Got it." Sam grabbed the sugars bucket.

* * *

Finally. The house was clean. All the floors had been swept or vacuumed, the kitchen and bathroom had been moped, and all the dishes had been done.

The trash was out, the laundry done, and the furniture and the knick-knacks dusted.

The only thing Reno had to show for his amazing feat was a sore back, and a serious lack of energy. He needed a bed. That was all he could think about at the moment. He went into Sam's now clean room, and, without even taking off the frilly apron, collapsed on her now made bed, and fell asleep within minutes.

* * *

Sam walked up the steps to her apartment, grocery bags in hand, only to find a partially open front door.

"What the hell?" Sam pushed the door the rest of the way open. She caught a feint smell of bleach and lemon floor cleaner.

"Reno?" She placed her purse on the table by the door, and the groceries on the counter. "I'm back."

No answer.

That was when panic hit. "Maybe he was taken back?" She began to search the apartment like a maniac. Living room, kitchen, bathroom, linen closet. There was no sign of him anywhere.

"He couldn't be..." Sam opened the door to her room after an instant's hesitation.

She was met with a rather sweet surprise. Reno was spread eagle on her bed, wearing her frilly apron. She couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

"I gotta thank him somehow for cleaning the house."

After a minute of thought, she had an idea.

She shifted through her desk drawers until she found a Polaroid camera. She angled the camera down at Reno, then, leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. She snapped a quick picture of the sight, and with a permanent marker, wrote, 'THANK YOU' in big letters on the bottom of the picture.

Sam giggled, which was very unlike her, caught herself, looked around to see if anyone saw that, and went to order some chinese food for dinner.

* * *

Reno was dreaming. He dreamt that he woke up back in his apartment, and he had just had a nightmare. His cell phone went off. Rude was calling to tell him that if he was late again, he might get fired.

He felt something brush his cheek. But nothing was there. "Am I really home? Was that whole thing just a bad dream?" He just shrugged it off, and rolled out of bed.

* * *

Back in reality, Reno hit the floor in Sam's bedroom, waking with a start...and some pain in his abdomen.

"Just a dream..." He muttered, trying to clear his head. He was still in Sam's apartment, he had just cleaned the place, and, from the pain he was feeling all over, no, this was NOT a dream.

Taking off the apron, he made his way to the door, where Sam had taped her little 'thank you' note.

Reno was appalled. "WHAT THE HELL?!" The picture consisted of Sam kissing him on the cheek, and he was wearing that hideous apron. She had scribbled 'thank you' in big letters on the bottom of the Polaroid. Reno ripped the picture off of the wall, his hands shaking with anger.

He ripped off the apron and threw it to the carpet. "How dare she?! I've never been more humiliated in my life!"

He heard the front door open and close, followed by Sam swearing, and the rustling of plastic bags.

Following his instinct to watch her for a moment before making his presence known, Reno quietly observed what she was doing.

Sam had apparently bought some groceries, and was putting them away in the various cupboards that adorned the kitchen, and the refrigerator.

"Lettuce, ground beef, pizzas, ice cream..." Sam then got to the last three bags, which, Reno had noticed when a growl came from his stomach, smelled good.

Sam snapped her head around when she heard the noise come from Reno. A smile came to her face. "Oh, you're awake! I bought dinner." She pointed to the three bags.

Reno looked suspicious. "What's in them?"

"Chinese food, and groceries."

"Oh." He forgot the fact that he was angry with her for a moment, and went to help her dish out the food, letting the silence creep into Sam's tiny apartment. "I need to ask you something, Sam."

"Hmm?"

"Did you feel that it was necessary to take that picture of me and you?" He was obviously still annoyed.

"I just wanted to say 'thank you' without waking you up."

"So you took a picture of you kissing me on the cheek?"

"I think that's a thank you you'd appreciate. Would you have liked it any better if I wrote it on your face in permanent marker?"

Reno thought about this for a second. "No. I like the kiss better. The apron just annoys me."

"If you want, I'll buy a manlier one if you ever get the urge to clean the house again."

"How did you know it was me?"

"You smelt like bleach, the whole house smells like bleach. How could I not know?"

Reno chuckled. "Good point." They were silent for another moment, just enjoying each other's company, when Reno spoke up.

"Have you seen my Turks suit?"

Sam got really nervous. "Uh...no?"

"You have seen it, haven't you?"

"Oh! Look! Potstickers!" Sam sounded really nervous. "Let's eat them!" She tried to walk out of the kitchen.

Reno placed his arm across the doorway, blocking her path. "After I get the answer to my question."

Sam looked defeated. "You're not going to like it."

"Tell me."

Sam sighed. "I warned you." She took a deep breath and continued. "When you got here, you were pretty torn up. You had superficial cuts all over your body, like someone sliced you up with a scalpel. And, unfortunately, they had to go through your suit to get to you."

Reno looked horrified. "So my suit is..."

"I'm trying to fix it, but it looks like you made it out of a bunch of black scraps of cloth."

"My suit is..."

"Sorry, Reno, it's unfixable."

He sighed, and hung his head. The whole room became heavy and dark.

"This was a fun day." He remarked sarcastically. "I end up cleaning YOUR apartment, and now you tell me that my suit has been put through the shredder. Lovely."

"Don't worry. I went out and bought you something that might make you feel better."

"I had to buy that for work! Now, I gotta go and get another one!" Sam was in the living room, and she was pulling things out of bags, and putting them on the couch.

"Reno, can you come here?"

Really unhappy, Reno trudged into the living room.

"What?"

"Ta-da! A new set of clothes for you!" She gestured to a pile of clothes on the couch.

His angst over his suit completely forgotten, he picked up one of the shirts. "Woah! You actually went and bought these for me?"

Sam nodded, happy that he felt better. "While I went out to pick up the food. I figured my ex's clothes wouldn't fit you all that well, so I bought you some new ones."

"Sam, I don't know what to say..."

"It's okay. You deserve it, after you cleaned the house and all-"

He moved in close, and kissed her, his lips like feathers against her cheek. "Thank you."

Sam turned red. Really red.

"Are you okay?!" Reno was worried now. "You're not sick are you?!"

Sam refused to look him in the eyes. "I'm fine...I just need to sit down for a minute." She stumbled to the recliner, her surprise rocking her nerves. She sat down, and placed her head in her hands, contemplating Reno's actions. She breathed in deep, taking in the current calm.

"Why did you do that?"

"I thought that's how you people say 'thank you'." He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Or is that just you?"

"That was just me."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out like that. I was just..." He sat down next to her.

"I know. I do. It's just...I don't know. I guess I was just reminded of my last boyfriend..."

"The one who broke up with you for getting a job?"

"You talked to Kimmy, didn't you?"

"Um...no?"

"He didn't break up with me because I got a job. He broke up with me because he wanted to move me to England with him. I didn't want to go, and we had this huge argument over it."

''Oh. Kimmy had the job story."

''Josh made that up to make it look like it was his fault. He didn't want me to look bad. He was sweet to me, even when we were arguing.''

''You were lucky. Most guys would blame it all on the girl.''

''I was.'' Sam leaned her head on Reno's shoulder. ''I really was.'' She closed her eyes.

Reno seemed a bit uncomfortable at first, but he placed his arm around her, and leaned his head on hers.

* * *

**SF15:** That chapter was really long. Four and a fourth pages. My longest yet. Read and review!


	4. Project 4

**Disclaimer:** I only own Sam, Kimmy, and Emily.

* * *

**Chapter 4: No Regrets**

Sam and Reno sat like that for a moment, letting everything around them just melt away. Sam watched Reno's chest move up and down with each inhale and exhale, and Reno noticed that her hair smelt like berries.

He pulled her into his arms, and held on tight. "Sam, thanks. You've done so much for me in the course of one day. That's more than anyone has done for me in my life." He let go, and looked into her eyes. "You're amazing."

Sam's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't say anything, she couldn't even breathe.

They moved closer to one another, eyes closing, and their lips about to touch.

Until Sam stood up, "Dinner's getting cold." And she walked into the kitchen.

Reno hung his head. "Idiot!" He chastised himself. "You knew that she's just gotten out of a bad relationship, and you know you can't get involved. Sure, she's nice, but that doesn't mean that this is a good idea. Now, if you can keep your head on straight, maybe you can fix this. Just don't mention it."

He went to go back into the kitchen, to see if Sam was okay, when he heard her scream.

"Sam?!" Reno burst into the kitchen, to see an unconscious Sam on the floor, and a familiar figure standing over her.

"Reno? Is that you?"

"Rude! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Reno went to make sure she was okay. "Sam? Sam? Talk to me! Sam!"

Rude seemed taken aback. "I thought she had kidnapped you. So I knocked her out, so I could get you out of here."

"Well, she didn't. She's the one who saved my life. Apparently Vincent Valentine left me in her care."

"Oh. Sorry."

Reno gently picked her up, and placed her on the couch, gently brushing the hair from her face.

"Sam?" He asked quietly. "Can you hear me?"

"It doesn't matter if she can or not, Reno."

The Turk turned to find his boss, Rufus Shinra standing in the doorway. "Change of plans. She comes with us."

Reno stopped himself from asking why. He knew better than to question orders. But, still, he had to know.

Rufus sensed this, and answered the question for him. "We found new reports that Hollander wrote up about a project he started just after Genesis. He wrote frequently about a girl who was the only one to survive. He called her Exodus. This girl matches the pictures, and the description he left. We have to make sure we don't have another one on our hands."

Rufus turned to leave. "You know better than to get involved."

Reno sighed. "I know. But, what's going to happen to her? She saved my life."

Rufus thought about this for a moment. "That depends on if she is who we think she is or not. If she isn't, she'll go home. If she is…well, I'd rather not tell you."

Reno followed his boss out the door, his face serious, which was not like him.

"Reno?"

"Yes, sir?"

"No regrets."

* * *

**SF15:** Well, that's it for now. I've still got a lot to do. Please read and review!


	5. Project 5

**Disclaimer:** I only own Sam.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Testing My Patience**

The sound of dripping water pierced the fog that clouded Sam's mind.

Feeling slowly returned to her limp limbs, making her shudder with the intense cold she felt.

'_Where am I? Am I dead? No…the dead can't feel.'_

She opened her eyes, and tried to move.

"Chains? I'm chained up?" She gently pulled on the bindings, and stood up the best she could. "Hello? Is someone there?"

"Miss Sam. You are finally awake…" A mechanical voice answered.

Sam was shocked. "Yes….but, can you tell me where I am and what I happen to be doing here?"

"You are thought to be an experiment by the late Professor Hollander. He left notes and pictures of one of his subjects, and they match your description, down to your brown hair and red eyes."

"I was told that my eyes were the result of my irises having no color proteins, and lots of people have brown hair! What's your point?!"

"We have reason to believe that you are this specimen."

Sam yanked at the chains. "So I look like this girl, so what?! Let me go!"

The voice remained calm. "Not until we have proof that you are not the escaped experiment."

"Damn you! I said let me go!" Sam pulled on the chains until they came apart.

Sam was shocked. She never had the strength to do that before. "What…..in the world…?"

"Miss Samantha. That is all the proof we need. You are Exodus. So, to prevent any unfortunate 'accidents', you are to be terminated."

"Terminated?! What the hell are you talking about?! And who the hell is Exodus?!"

A group of heavily armed people broke into the room, armed with guns and swords. They obviously belonged to Shinra's private army. The leader, bedecked in a red bandana, held up his hand to tell his men to prepare to fire.

Sam didn't know what to do. How the hell was she going to defend herself against a barrage of bullets? And, on top of that, what would she do if they pulled their swords? She had no weapon of her own to defend her.

Just then, something in Sam's mind clicked, and forced her conscious out of the way. Her whole body went limp with this unprecedented transformation, and even the leader of the Shinra soldiers hesitated.

Sam chose that moment to rush the group, and as she slammed into them, she tore out vital organs.

Sam stopped when she got to the back of the horde, and looked around her. Her eyes were glazed over, and her face was a mask of indifference to the gore fest she had just created.

Looking at her hands, she marveled at the color of the blood that stained her fingers, and she smiled.

It was a sweet, innocent smile, like that of a child who had just been rewarded for a job well done. She looked at the survivors, and went limp again.

Sam woke back up, and looked at all the blood on the floor.

'Holy shit! What the hell just happened here?! Did I— No, that's crazy, Sam!' She looked at her crimson hands in horror, and then took off like a bullet down the hall.

The soldiers couldn't even chase her for a moment, because they feared for their lives. But, then their loyalty to their paychecks kicked in, and they took off after her.

Sam's legs pounded down corridors that all looked the same. Her mind was racing with thoughts of all those dead men, and the possibility that she had delivered them to that fate.

Running through a door labeled with a picture of a staircase, she slammed the door behind her. Luckily, she was far enough ahead, and the remaining men weren't smart enough to think to look for her there.

Pressing her ear against the door, Sam heard the last of the soldiers leave the hall. She was about to go back in, when she heard footsteps leading in her direction from below. And they were moving fast.

Peering over the rail, she tried to get a look at the newcomers.

"You think that they would have closed this off after we got in the first time!" A woman's voice called.

"I…forgot….how….many…..steps…..this……damn…..place……had….." A masculine voice panted, his irritation and how spent he was could be heard in his voice.

Sam heard a third set of feet, but one of them wasn't talking.

Before she knew it, they had made their way to her position.

A girl with long black hair approached her. "Hmmmm. You don't work for Shinra. And you're in a medical gown. So, you're a patient?"

Sam said nothing, just looked at her bare feet.

A blonde man ran up behind her, and drew a massive broadsword. "Why are you covered in blood?"

The past events finally set in Sam's mind. She fell to her knees and began to cry.

"Cloud!" The woman scolded. "You're scaring her."

Cloud looked like he wasn't the one who should be reprimanded. "You don't know what she is. She might be another one of Hojo's experiments."

Sam shook her head. "They kept saying some man named 'Hollander' was the one who created me."

The woman looked shocked. "So, you are an experiment?"

"I don't know anymore! I was a normal human this morning! Then, I met Reno, and—"

Cloud cut her off. "You met Reno? Of the Turks?"

Sam nodded. "Yes. Vincent left him in my care. He was really hurt, so I had to administer some first aid, but he was almost fine the next morning. Then, I went into the kitchen, and that's the last thing I remember…."

She had deliberately left out all the talking they did, and everything else that happened.

Finally, the last member of the group came clambering up the stairs. "Finally……..I made it." He collapsed.

Cloud was silent for a moment, and the woman introduced herself as Tifa Lockheart.

"Samantha Keels." Sam shook her hand. "Or, at least, I was. I was in this chamber, and this voice kept saying I was 'Exodus', and I was one of Hollander's experiments. Then they tried to kill me, because they thought I was."

Tifa looked at Cloud, who was still listening to Sam.

Finally, he looked at the big black man that had just climbed up the stairs. "Barrett. She's coming with us. You're going to have to carry her."

Barrett looked like he was about to cry. "Why me?! I barely made it up the stairs by myself!"

"I have my sword, and Tifa has to hold on to the map. You're the only one with a free hand."

Barrett swore under his breath. "You are really testing my patience, Cloud!"

* * *

**SF15:** I finally got this chappy done. Amazing how lazy I am, isn't it? Please Read and Review!


	6. Project 6

To: needleholehalo, my one and only reviewer. I'm sorry I didn't get the message sooner, or else I would have posted sooner! DX Gomen ne! *bows*

**Disclaimer:** I only own Sam, and Emily, and Kimmy. :)

* * *

**Project 6: Safe Haven**

Sam got up on Barret's back, much to his disdain, and she rode the whole way down.

"Damn, girl! You're lighter than you look!" Barret marveled.

Sam would have said something, but, already her fatigue was over taking her, and she quickly succumbed to the darkness of the inside of her mind.

She awoke in what appeared to be a child's room, with stuffed animals strewn about, and doodles on the wall. Some of the doodles were of Tifa, and of the blonde man she had seen earlier, wasn't his name Cloud…or something?

She noticed that the blood had been washed from her, and she wasn't wearing the hospital gown anymore, but rather an old white shirt that was a bit loose in her chest, paired with a pair of black shorts.

Swinging her legs over the bed, she noticed a small girl come into the room, carrying a tray with, from what Sam could tell, smelt of food. Her stomach growled, complaining about its emptiness.

"Oh, you're awake?" The girl asked, smiling.

Sam only nodded. Her throat was dry from thirst. She had no idea how long she had been out here, let alone at the Shinra headquarters.

The girl smiled again, and walked over, placing the tray on the bed next to Sam. "I'm Marlene." She held out a small hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Sam took a swig of water before answering. "I'm Samantha Keels. But, you can call me Sam, Marlene." Sam shook the hand with a light but firm motion.

"Oh! I better go tell Tifa you're awake." Marlene scampered out of the room, leaving Sam to her meal, which she quickly devoured. So much for restraint.

After she scarfed down her meal, Sam cautiously made her way down the stairs, finding herself in a bar.

"Oh, you're awake!" Tifa called from behind the counter.

Sam tried to back away, but Tifa just smiled, and waved her over.

Slowly, she made her way to the bar, and she sat down where Tifa indicated. "How did you sleep, Samantha?" She handed her a cup of some hot tea.

Sam took a sip of the tea before answering. "Lousy. I kept having a really strange dream, and it kept me from actually sleeping. It was more like a catnap."

Tifa leaned on the bar, and studied her. "You're definitely a strange one. No wonder Shinra wanted to kill you. They must have thought that you were a danger."

"They kept saying something about "Genesis", and that I was "Exodus". Then they said that I needed to be terminated because they didn't want me to….well, I don't know. But, they were definitely trying to kill me." She took another sip of her tea. "Reno….what happened to Reno?"

Tifa shook her head. "What are you talking about? What about Reno?"

"I saved him, and then…well, I don't know how I ended up there, but there I was."

"He's probably in the Shinra building. He is a Turk, after all."

"Tifa, was it?"

"Yes?"

"How did you and the others get in there?"

"Through an old staircase. Why?"

"I want to go back."

* * *

**SF15: **I know this was short, but this is all I can manage for now. *bows* I'll try to do some more in the next week or so.


	7. Project 7

**Disclaimer:** I only own Sam, and Emily, and Kimmy. :)

Before you ask about the title, it's not THAT one, Sephiroth fans. Sorry. =D

To needleholehalo: Thank you so much for reviewing! You're the first person to actually review. You get a cookie. =D

* * *

**Chapter 7: Reunion **

Climbing back up the stairs of the ShinRa building, Barret was once again complaining about how he had to carry Sam on his back.

"Sorry." Sam apologized. "I'm afraid I can't keep up with the rest of you in my condition."

Barret simply grunted, then answered with a surprising retort. "Don't worry about it. I understand. I just wish Cloud would carry you, that lazy-ass…."

Tifa called out to them, cutting off Barret's rant about Cloud's work ethic. "Hey! You guys still behind us?"

"We are, Tifa!" Sam called out. She turned to Barret. "Do you need me to get off so you can catch your breath?"

"Nah. Just hold on." He started to increase his speed little by little.

Once they were at the top, Barret gently let Sam off, and she stood in front of the door leading to the corridor on the fiftieth floor.

'_Don't worry, Reno. I'm still alive, and I'm coming to get you….'_ Taking a deep breath, she paused, and then pushed the door open.

Cloud, Tifa, and Barret got ready behind her just in case there was going to be a fight. But, to their surprise, the corridor was as empty and as silent as a graveyard at night.

Sam poked her head out of the door, and looked down both directions before running out into the open.

"Which way now, Tifa?" She turned and asked.

Tifa pointed to the right, and Sam let her take the lead.

Meanwhile, Reno was in Rufus' office, preparing for an assault. Rufus was expecting Sam to come back, and Reno was having reservations about fighting the girl who had saved him. She hadn't done anything wrong, right? She couldn't help what she was…but, according to his boss, she was a killer, just like her predecessor, Genesis. That meant she was a threat, and threats had to be eliminated.

Rude sensed his partner's hesitation. It wasn't like him. Normally, he would've been all gung-ho and rearing to fight. But, this time, Rude knew, was different. The girl was kind to him, and saved his life. Reno couldn't lay a hand on her to hurt her….let alone fight her.

Rude shivered with the memory of the security tape that had been shown to them, the one of the girl butchering all of those guards…..it was like she was a totally different person than the girl he knocked out at the apartment….shrugging it off, he began to prepare himself mentally for the fight ahead.

Back in the hall, Tifa led the way to Rufus' office. Sam was able to walk on her own now, and she managed to keep up with the pace Tifa was setting.

Even Cloud was impressed with her quick recovery, even if he didn't show it.

Once at the door to the office, Tifa checked if it would open, which it didn't.

Motioning for everyone to stand back, she aimed and landed a well placed kick to the doors, causing them to come crashing down.

Sam rushed past her and into the office, where she spotted the man she had come for.

"Reno!" She ran up to him, but he held out his baton, and assumed a fighting stance.

"Reno….?"

"He's not going to let you just come in here as you please, Exodus." Rufus scoffed from behind his desk.

Sam turned on him. "Stop calling me that! I have no idea who the hell that is!"

Rufus raised an eyebrow. "Don't you?" He played the security camera tape from when she was locked up.

Once the tape was finished, he turned off the monitor he played it on, and looked her in the eye. "Now, who could that have been, hm?"

Sam stared in shock at the now blank screen. She had killed at least twenty men…that would explain the bloody clothes she was wearing, and how she managed to escape….but, how? And why?

Tifa, Barret, and Cloud watched the tape just as intently as Sam. They all looked at her in shock, as she tried to piece the puzzle together.

"So, as you can see, 'Sam' is property of my company, and, seeing as how she's defective, needs to be destroyed." He snapped his fingers, and she was surrounded by Elena, Tsung, and Rude.

She looked to Reno with sad eyes. "Are you okay with this, Reno? With me being killed for what they made me?"

Rufus' eyes narrowed. "We didn't make you anything. You…"

Sam cut him off by standing up, and looking him in the eye. "Like hell you didn't! What about this 'Genesis' guy you keep going on about?! You say that he's a killer, and so am I. But, you made us, didn't you?!" She screamed.

Mr. ShinRa wasn't taking kind to being yelled at. "Kill her."

The Turks tried to rush her, but she dodged their blows, and sent them to the floor. They were unconscious, but far from dead.

"I am _nothing_ like Genesis. You can't assume that I'm going to be a killer because of him and Sephiroth. Yes, I know about him. Tifa filled me in." She turned towards Reno. "You never answered my question, Reno…"

Reno paused, and looked away, not wanting to meet her eyes. "I'm….."

* * *

**SF15: **Sorry, I just had to end it there. I'm evil like that. ^_^


	8. Project 8

**Disclaimer: **I only own Sam, Emily, and Kimmy. =3

* * *

**Chapter 8: Decision**

Reno stood, unable to form the words that might scratch the surface on how he felt. The emotions in him were mixed. Loyalty to ShinRa, and owing Sam his life. Not sure what to do, he finally looked at Sam.

'_I'm sorry.'_ He mouthed. Sam saw it, and nodded, understanding his position. She held up her hands in defeat.

Tifa and Barrett moved to stop her, but Cloud moved his arm in their way. "It's her decision." He said softly. "We can't interfere."

Tifa slapped his arm away, and ran to back Sam up. "You can't give in, Sam! You have a right to live your life, just like anyone else! You're different than Sephiroth, and you're different than Genesis."

Sam turned around to face Tifa. "You really think that? Tifa?"

Tifa nodded. "I do. You're different than all the rest. You have a home, and you have a heart." She placed her hand over Sam's in emphasis. "You live, you breathe, you dream, and you love. That's what makes you alive."

Sam seemed shocked for a second, but she didn't have time to contemplate Tifa's statement. Rude, Tsung, and Elena were waking up, and Rufus had summoned a horde of genetically mutated guard dogs to help take Sam down.

"We need to get out of here." Sam said over the growling monstrosities.

Tifa agreed, and Barret readied his gun arm. Cloud was the only one who stood stark still.

"Reno?" Cloud called. "Who's more important to you, the girl who saved your life, the life of a stranger, or the life of a company that almost destroyed the world?"

The words hit Reno like a bullet, piercing through his emotional defenses.

He said nothing, but his scowl deepened, and his grip on his baton grew even tighter.

Sam and Tifa were already facing the dogs, and trying to dodge blows from the Turks all at the same time.

"Sam! Head for the door, I'll cover you!" Tifa yelled.

"What about you? You can't defend yourself against so many of these things!" Sam yelled back.

"Don't worry about me! Just get going! You're the one they want!"

Sam kicked one of the dogs in the head, sending it howling in pain into the wall. "I won't do that! I can't abandon you!"

Tifa nailed a right hook on Tsung. "It's not abandonment! If you go, we'll get you to a safe place. Just get out of here! You need to survive!"

Sam whirled around, and grabbed the front of Tifa's shirt. "No. I don't." She said, determination the only thing Tifa saw in her eyes.

But, Sam had turned her back on one of the dogs, which it took as an opportunity to attack. Leaping for her, it sunk its inch long canines into her neck and shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain.

Sam elbowed it in the ribcage with her non injured side, and it let go. It backed up, and the other dogs started to surround her.

Sam swore under her breath.

Rufus chuckled. "Now that these things have had a taste of your blood, Exodus, they're going to hunt you down and slaughter you, no matter where you go." He sneered at Sam, his victory imminent.

The next sound he heard would wipe the smirk right off of his face.

"Yee-haw!" A new group came busting in, led by a blonde man with a spear.

"Cid!" Tifa called out.

"So, what's all this shit about? You come callin' on ShinRa, and you don't invite me? How goddamned impolite."

Sam felt a presence behind her, and she whirled around to see the face that started this all. "Vincent?!"

He nodded, and looked at her wound. "You need medical treatment."

"I'm. Not. Leaving." She told him, venom dripping from every word.

"Ya should be, Lassie." A little voice next to her elbow said.

Sam looked down. "You've got to be kidding me."

Vincent turned to the little thing. "Cait Sith, make sure she gets back to the airship."

"Right away!" Cait turned to Sam. "Come on, then."

"I'm not leaving without Reno!" Sam hissed, making the little cat back away in fear.

She then felt a breeze by her left side, and then someone picked her up. It was Barrett again.

Sam started kicking and screaming. "Put me down, goddamn it! I told you I'm not leaving without Reno, so put me the hell down!" Barrett started to make his way out the door.

"Reno!" Sam's voice caught his attention in the scuffle. "I'm not going to leave you, okay?"

Reno felt Sam's frustration, and he nodded.

Sam smiled, and then allowed Barrett to take her back to Cid's airship.

* * *

**SF15:** Sweet, another chappy done! =3 But, it is still relatively short. ^_^; Sorry about that. I'll try better next time…I swear….


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